Flat-pack alternative to tents for refugees

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The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) is partnering with the IKEA Foundation on a new temporary shelter for refugees. Twenty-five of the flat-pack shelters are currently being tested in the Dollo Ado refugee camp in Ethiopia, home to over 190,000 refugees. A further twelve shelters will also be deployed to Lebanon, which hosts 500,000 Syrian refugees.

The 188 square foot shelters are made from rigid plastic panels attached to a lightweight frame. They can be assembled in about four hours by two people, and will comfortably sleep five. A 4,28W solar panel mounted on the roof can power a light after dark or charge a mobile phone. And in true IKEA style, the shelters can be disassembled, moved, and reassembled at a different site.